Morgan Road project could be turned over to construction company by end of 2022

While work on expanding and widening Morgan Road has continued at a steady pace, a Jefferson County official said he hopes that two key components to completing the project – funding and land – are closer to being realized. 

Commission President Jimmie Stephens said he is hopeful that a construction company can be tasked with the project by the end of summer and that construction can begin by the end of 2022 or by the beginning of 2023.

“The County Commission has received an industrial access grant from the State of Alabama to help in the completion of Lakeshore and the widening of Morgan Road down to Hopewell Road,” Stephens said. “The county has engaged an engineering firm to work on the layout of that particular section of road.”

Morgan Road, also known as Highway 52, connects Bessemer to Helena, and it’s seen significant congestion over the past two decades as the area’s population has soared with new industry. Nearly 20,000 drivers use the road each day as part of their commute. 

The road will widen from two lanes to five, including a middle turning lane between South Shades Crest Road and I-459. The project was approved by the Commission in 2019 at an estimated cost of $23 million.

“This project will allow better ingress and egress into those industrial facilities that are located on Lakeshore and Morgan Road,” he said. “It will also allow and help facilitate access to the interstate system.” 

The area most affected by the project is approximately 2.5 miles of road near Lakeshore. With funding secured, the Commission moves on to finalizing plans for the road’s path. Once those details have been finalized, they’ll move on to selecting a construction company. And finally, they’ll work to secure right-of-way based on what properties will be affected over that 2.5- mile stretch.

“The private sector is able to act much more quickly,” Stephens said. “We’re always in a catch-up process keeping the infrastructure up with the progress.” 

When it was approved in 2019, the project was expected to take two years to complete. With significant new funding secured and an engineering firm currently working on the plans, if the Commission stays on the pace of its original projection, motorists can potentially see some relief on their commute by 2024, according to Stephens.